Sierra National Forest

About Us

USDA FOREST SERVICE

Established in 1905, the Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands.

Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the mission of the Forest Service - "to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run."

National forests and grasslands encompass 191 million acres (77.3 million hectares) of land, which is an area equivalent to the size of Texas.

FOREST SERVICE HISTORY

Many early settlers of the west thought that there was an inexhaustible supply of natural resources, which led to overgrazing, over logging and destruction of public lands. There were only a few proponents of conservation and wise use of public lands in the country at the time. On May 25, 1907, the Inyo became the first national forest in California to administer public lands, "for the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run."

BUDGET INFORMATION

The Forest Service gets its budget through the Department of Agriculture budget as approved by Congress. Get more budget details about the Forest Service.

DOING BUSINESS WITH US

All Forest Service contracting opportunities are available through FedBizOpps, the federal government contracting portal site.

Look under the Department of Agriculture locations to find Forest Service-specific opportunities.

NEW CENTURY OF SERVICE

We celebrate our 100th birthday in 2005. At our "New Century of Service" site, find out how we're preparing to provide another hundred years of service through your national forests and grasslands.